


Prayers of an Atheist

by Lue4028



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Sherlock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 09:01:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6511960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lue4028/pseuds/Lue4028
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The show Sherlock is high-jacked by ABC Americans who want to turn the subtext into an open gay relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Benedict walks into the first read-through for the next season and is confronted by a bunch of new faces he’s never seen before, as well as Martin sitting in the back, twiddling his thumbs with his heels on the table.  The nearest person stands up and grins at him.

“Oh hi Sherlock. Can I call you Sherly? I’m your new screenwriter. Will Donahue.”

“I'm not—“ Benedict quickly gets over it when he gets to the end of that sentence, “What do you mean, new screen writer? What happened to Steve?”

 “Oh they didn’t tell you?” the screenwriter shrugs, “BBC1 finally caved and sold _Sherlock_ to ABC. This is a ratings-driven, for-profit project now, partly kickstarter-funded. This is our director, Mike. And this is Stephanie our producer, a self-proclaimed shipper fan –“

“Wait, wait. I wasn’t aware- has this been finalized? They signed over the rights?”

“Yeah, man. I already wrote the script. We even have a new premise and everything, check it out.”

Benedict takes the script and runs over it. It doesn’t take him long to object. “You’re turning the show into a _sitcom_? Is this a joke?“

“Isn’t it great? This is my first job. Can’t believe they actually gave me it- I don’t even have my bachelor’s yet!”

“Where’s Mark? Is he here?”

“He’s in Miami.”

“ _Miami_?” Benedict asks, turning the pages, “30min 50 episodes per season. Martin—”

Martin unfolds his arms and holds his hands up in the air, which basically means he doesn’t want to hear it.

“You two are officially an open gay couple in a CW TV show. Congrats. Sorry we had to skip past the wedding stuff, it wouldn't fit in the time bracket.”

“Are you f—king mad? _Sherlock_ without crime-solving?”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger, alright. I work with what I’m given.”

“Why would you change the show? The original won more BAFTA’s than we could show up for. ”

“We’re not after BAFTA’s. We’re after viewership and maximized commercials.”

“So you’re saying we’re sell-outs.”

“Yeah.”

“We’re filming a few sequences here, but we’ll be filming mostly in Toronto, alright? Sign and date?” Stephanie clicks the pen and hands him a 2 year contract. Benedict backs off like its on fire.

 “We don’t need this. There’s no reason for us to jump ships, we’re both Golden Globe nominated actors. You can find a new cast.”

“Sure. Quit being Sherlock. Watch the world implode.” Benedict cringes at that.

“Where the hell is—“

“Gone,” Martin says.

“What do you mean gone?” Ben turns on him.

“I mean he’s not here."

"On to better and brighter things," the screenwriter smiles.

"Did you kill him?" Ben has the sudden urge to ask.

"No, no, but if we did, we wouldn't tell you."

"I thought he ditched us to go make Dr. Who,” Martin muses.

Ben processes.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” Stephanie asks.

“Miami.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

“You sold the show? To _ABC_?” Ben calls after Mark wading through dunes of sand, fully dressed.

“I was at an intersection, right? Just stalled, waiting for the light. The bloke in front of me completely totaled by some midday drunk who ran a red.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with—“

“I had an _existential crisis_ , Ben,” he shakes him by the shoulders, “ You lead this normal life with a normal car and a normal house and a normal job and then you see how it could all be gone in a second and then.. you _realize_ things. I saw myself in that bloke Ben. I saw myself die.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

"I think they tried to kill Mark too," Ben says to Martin when he finds him on set. He's watching the director argue with the set-designer about wallpaper.

"I wouldn't put it past them."

"Have you read this?" Ben asks, showing the script he's holding because naturally he's reviewing his lines, despite the Armageddon that is imminently upon them.

"I'm trying very hard not to."

"They're turning it into a rom-com."

"It doesn't mean we can't act well."

"There are _limits_ Martin. This isn't one of those things you can just whiz your way out of."

Martin gives him a irked expression as the director signals them to come over. "Look I just fought with my wife for 6 hours on this," he sighs tiredly, "Don't make me regret it."

 


End file.
